Where has all the time gone? I find myself asking that question more and more these days. As of this summer, Peel Scrap going into its 33rd year in the scrap metal recycling business.

The Past

1990 was when we had our humble beginning. The partner Jeff Shaffer and I were actually brothers-in-law, so Peel was definitely a family business. In addition to that Jeff and I were actually the only employees.

We had no customers on our opening day, occupying half of the building on 2301 Anson Drive in Mississauga. We had a one-ton truck and one forklift. But what we also had was a strong desire to make our business grow.

The main thing we knew was that our growth would be tied directly to our customer service, fair prices, and honest weight.  So we went to work, shoulder to the grindstone. About 18 months later, we were able to hire our first employee. And that was the beginning of our pattern of solid steady growth.

We toughed out through the recession of the early 1990s, mostly through our ‘hard work’ ethic, good planning help, and a firm commitment to our customers’ needs.

The Present

So from two employees when we started, our staff has now grown to twenty-five.  From one small truck, our fleet has grown to five large trucks and numerous bins for those trucks. From a single forklift, we now have ten.  And from half of one building, we now have three. These are in two locations both with truck scales and cranes and offering full recycling services.

Over our thirty-three years in the business, we have also seen some pretty amazing changes in the prices for recycled metals. We have seen copper go from $.60 to $5.00 per pound. Aluminum has climbed from $.40 to $2.00 per pound. Stainless steel has gone from $.20 to $1.60 per pound. Car batteries have from $.03 to $.35 per pound And perhaps most dramatically, scrap steel has gone from $20 to $500 per ton.

But it wasn’t just our hard work and commitment to service and fairness, that made us a successful company. We owe a huge vote thanks to our customers, many of whom have stayed with us for years.

There’s an old saying that goes “It takes a village to raise a child.”

Our village, which is our customers, our employees, and the others who help us in various ways, are all a part of our success.

The Future

As the world transitions to a much more of a ‘green’ economy, with greater environmental responsibility, the recycling we do will take on even more important going forward.

Fortunately for us at Peel, we are well-equipped, ready, and more than willing to handle that challenge.

Gary Dvorkin

Download The Peel Scrap App

Just a reminder that our mobile app is available in both mobile operating systems. The app is free to download and available at both the iTunes and Google Play stores. It will keep you current on prices in addition to providing other useful links and information. (Search: Peel Scrap Metal Recycling).

Download for Apple mobile devices
Download for Android mobile devices

Contact Us